Friday, December 27, 2013

(UPDATE) Wait a minute.... Japanese yen has depreciated by 30 percent against the US dollar compared to one year ago. Of course the amount of export would "increase", because of the exchange rate difference.

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and may come very close to, if not pass, the all-time high of 532.8 billion yen (US$5.328 dollars) in 1984.

40% of all agricultural export is fish and marine products.

Buyers are Hong Kong and other Asian countries, and the United States.

It has been revealed that the food and agricultural export in 2013 is set to surpass 500 billion yen [US$5 billion] for the first time in 5 years. The agricultural export dipped temporarily due to baseless rumors after the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant accident, but in 2013 it has rebounded markedly, growing by more than 20% compared to last year because of the [superior] taste and safety of the Japanese products and the worldwide popularity of the Japanese cuisine. It may approach the all-time high of 532.8 billion yen in 1984.

According to the data collected by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the amount of export from January to October in 2013 grew 23% compared to the same period last year to 443.1 billion yen [US$4.431 billion]. Fish and marine products make up 40% of the export, and they grew by 32.4% in 2013. The growth came from brisk sales of Japanese scallops and mackerels. Export of processed foods also grew by double digit.

Main export destinations include Hong Kong and other Asian countries and the United States. When the November result, to be announced in the first half of January next year, is added, the cumulative amount of agricultural export from January to November 2013 is expected to reach 490 billion yen [US$4.9 billion]. When the December result is added, it may make a new all-time high.

Jiji reports as if the drop in agricultural export were caused by "baseless rumors". If I remember correctly, many countries in the world banned or severely restricted the import of agricultural products from Japan because of radioactive materials (radioactive iodine and cesium for the most part) found in them after the nuclear accident.

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comments:

I'm more worried about the fish/sea life caught off the US/Canada West Coast/Alaska, because that is where radiation is going, and let's not forget the latest article from a Russian expert about the dangers here.

The radiation is going everywhere. Not just from Fukushima, but many countries have been dumping crap all over the place for decades. Just need to pick the places it's affecting less and hope you get lucky.

@Anon 1.27amThe lying bastards aren't the locals who have no choice but to eat it.

It's different in the case of foreign countries that choose to import from Japan. They have a choice, and they intentionally chose to import from Japan. Chances are your country is lying to you about the safety of your food.

Most countries don't bother testing for radiation because it's expensive and doesn't reliably turn profit. Regular citizens like us don't have a choice in how food safety is handled. If you're a rich asshole, you can afford to move to another country or import your own food.

@Anon 1:27AMHow do you know what's "Japanese"? Do you know how difficult it is to trace the source of food? I know, because I've been trying to. I bet you've already consumed tons of food imported from Japan without realising it.

@ anon 7:54 you'd lose the bet. We have been eating what we grow for many years. Meat only comes from those farmers we know. Having said that, I feel great pity for the Japanese who, because their land is becoming so grossly contaminated, they can no longer grow their own staples.

@anon 7:50am. The problem is that most people cannot be bothered with the big issues until they get bitten in the arse by them. The die is well cast in Japan. Now those who chose to live a simple life unbothered by the plans of those they elected, must face up to the fact that their blind trust has been betrayed. The dream they bought into has turned out to be a waking neverending nightmare.

And STILL the majority of Japanese refuse to face the reality and gravity of their predicament - guilty by tacit acceptance.

Anon @9:15 AMNot everyone lives on a farm and grows their own food, though. But you do agree that a person doesn't have much choice if their land is contaminated. What would you do if you had no choice? Where would you go? Would you really be able to escape? Not everyone has the same level of control in their lives.

I think your description that "those who chose to live a simple life unbothered by the plans of those they elected, must face up to the fact that their blind trust has been betrayed" could easily be applied to current dilemmas in the US. Obamacare, for one example.

Can you honestly say with absolute confidence that had this disaster occurred anywhere else, the citizens would've reacted any differently? I see all sorts of injustices everywhere in the world, and rarely do peace-loving citizens ever join forces and stand together.

They distrust each other as much as they distrust their government. Regular citizens like us are denied power and information to the point that we can't prove anything, and thus can't force or encourage large scale drastic action, even if we tried with all our might. Does that mean we are guilty by tacit acceptance, or that we aren't facing the reality and gravity of our predicament?

I'm sure you can imagine how difficult it is to discard everything you have ever known and loved to escape a fate that you're not even sure is doomed because of constantly contradicting misinformation from all sides. There is tremendous social and financial pressure in these kinds of situations, and those with the most weight in those arenas come out on top.

Given the circumstances, I don't think regular Japanese citizens can be blamed for this mess. I'm at a point where I wish this situation would occur in more places so that people would realize that this entire debacle isn't unique to Japan. Then maybe people would focus on the real problems.

It's like saying black people are a problem because people believe they inherently steal cars, instead of questioning social, employment and financial issues. It's always easier to point at social groups than deal with formless culprits. That's why we always see idiots using labels like "liberal", "left" or "right" to immediately dismiss or put each other down. It's nothing but a distraction from the real issues at hand.

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